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Installation view Chagall il colore dei sogni

CHAGALL. The Colour of Dreams

Curated by: Elisabetta Barisoni

The successful exhibition activity conceived by Fondazione Musei Civici for the city of Mestre around the Masters of the 20th Century series, continues. After the theme of abstraction, which began with Kandinsky and ended with the international Art Informel movement, once again a Russian master, namely Marc Chagall, is the focus of a new ‘journey’ through the civic collections of modern and contemporary art. Commencing from the masterpiece Rabbino n. 2 or Rabbino di Vitebsk (1914–1922), acquired by Venice Municipality at the 1928 Biennale and conserved in Ca’ Pesaro Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna, the exhibition will investigate the revolutionary scope of Chagall’s art as dream painting and the triumph of the creative imagination.

At the climax of symbolism and expressionism and the start of surrealist painting, Chagall’s inner world appears as instinctive, illogical, fantastic and otherworldly. Conceived around masterpieces conserved at Ca’ Pesaro, the exhibition includes Chagall in its journey through 20th-century art. This begins from the oneiric symbolism of Odilon Redon, Félicien Rops and Adolfo Wildt and traverses the works of European expressionism, well represented by the colours of Emil Nolde and George Grosz. Matter painting and sacred themes are also considered in relation to the religious implications of the Russian master, expressed by Georges Rouault.

The affinity of the Rabbino in Ca’ Pesaro to cubist and constructivist developments will then be compared with the contemporary sculpture of Ossip Zadkine, and from there to the surrealism of Max Ernst, who saw Chagall as an essential starting point for his own art.

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Free admission upon registration. Fill in the online form >

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MUVE Education for the exhibition

On the occasion of the ‘Chagall. The Colour of Dreams’ exhibition at the Centro Culturale Candiani in Mestre, the Educational Activities Office – Muve Education offers a series of activities aimed at schools, families and adults. The proposals are structured with different levels of investigations, methods and approaches, in view of the various audiences they address, including those with special needs, and include multi-sensory visits and others dedicated to the elderly and guests from rest homes.

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FOR SCHOOLS

Active itinerary: Guided tour of the exhibition
After Kandinsky, the MUVE’s programme dedicated to masters of the twentieth century continues at the Centro Culturale Candiani in Mestre with another major Russian artist: Marc Chagall.
Starting with the masterpiece conserved in Ca’ Pesaro, Rabbi no. 2 or Rabbi of Vitebsk (1914-1922), the exhibition explores the revolutionary scope of Chagall’s art as dream painting and triumph of the creative imagination. In addition to Chagall, the thematic itinerary includes focuses on the dreamlike symbolism of Redon, Rops and Martini, the European Expressionism of Nolde and Grosz and the material painting and sacred subjects of Roualt in relation to Chagall’s religious influence. It also explores the Surrealism of Ernst and the unprecedented dreamlike atmosphere of the second half of the twentieth century with the sculpture of Parmiggiani, the painting of Balest and the great season of the Italian Transavanguardia.
Target: 1st and 2nd grade secondary schools, Universities
Duration: 1h 30min

Workshop: A Dream of a City
After a selected visit to the ‘Chagall. The Colour of Dreams’ exhibition, with particular reference to the most ‘dreamlike’ works and those linked to the artist’s hometown, Vitebsk, the students will be taken to the classroom where, using various techniques and tools – from collage to stencils – they will try their hand at creating a collective work with which to bring their own ‘city of dreams’ to life.
Target: Infant school (middle and high), primary school, 1st grade secondary schools
Duration: 2h

 

FOR FAMILIES

A Dream of a City
Diversified according to age group, the activity includes a selected visit to the exhibition, with a particular focus on the most ‘dreamlike’ works linked to the artist’s hometown, Vitebsk, after which the participants will experiment in the workshop where, using various techniques and tools – from collage to stencils – they will try their hand at creating a collective work with which to bring their own ‘city of dreams’ to life.
Target: Families with children aged 5 to 14
Duration: 2h

 

FOR ADULTS

Guided tour of the exhibition
The ‘Chagall. The Colour of Dreams’ exhibition follows on from ‘Kandinsky and the avant-gardes’, the first show in the successful MUVE programme exploring the masters of the twentieth century at the Centro Culturale Candiani in Mestre. A thematic itinerary focuses on some aspects of this exhibition, dedicated to another leading Russian artist. Starting from the Ca’ Pesaro masterpiece Rabbi no. 2 or Rabbi of Vitebsk (1914 – 1922), the revolutionary scope of Chagall’s art as dream painting and triumph of the creative imagination is investigated. In addition to Chagall, the itinerary includes examines the dreamlike symbolism of Redon, Rops and Martini, the European Expressionism of Nolde and Grosz and the material painting and sacred subjects of Roualt in relation to Chagall’s religious influence. It also explores the Surrealism of Ernst and the unprecedented dreamlike atmosphere of the second half of the twentieth century with the sculpture of Parmiggiani, the painting of Balest and the great season of the Italian Transavanguardia.

 

SPECIAL NEEDS

Art Conversations – “My” Fairytale Village
On the occasion of the ‘Chagall. The Colour of Dreams’ exhibition hosted at the Centro Culturale Candiani di Mestre, the landscape of Vitebsk, the artist’s hometown depicted in some of the paintings on display, will be the setting for an artistic experience in which participants, with their caregivers, will populate their own ‘fairytale village’ with characters, animals and imaginary places.
The activity takes the form of a workshop preceded by the creation of a shared story inspired by the reading of the famous painting Vitebsk. Village scene from the Albertina Museum in Vienna, which features in the exhibition.
Number of participants: groups of maximum 8/10 participants including accompanying persons
Duration: 1h 30min

The tactility of dreams – A multisensory route through the exhibition
The visit includes the tactile exploration of some of the masterpieces on display in the exhibition, including Chagall’s Rabbi of Vitebsk. The itinerary has been made especially for the occasion, and, thanks to different textures and reliefs at different heights, it allows visitors to understand the composition of the fabrics, colours and patterns depicted in the painting on the one hand, and the details of the face and in general those of the figure depicted, the ritual clothes worn and the light on the other. All of this is also assisted by an audio description with subtitles and LIS interpretation, captions with highly legible characters, raised lettering and braille, a Test Me font suitable for dyslexic and visually impaired people. This is complemented by other explorations of important sculptures in the exhibition, such as the Harlequin and Reclining Vestal by Ossip Zadkine and Winged Figures by Lynn Chadwick.
Duration: 1h

The activities can only be booked online at:
www.visitmuve.it/education > Schools/Families/Adults > red ‘Choose and book’ button

Book online >

Prices: € 100 for educational activities for schools, families and adults

The ‘special needs’ activities are offered free of charge and carried out by in-house curators and specialised museum educators. Prior booking is required, to be done via email or by phone.

education@fmcvenezia.it
T. 041 2700370 (9.30-12.30 Mondays and Wednesdays)